Tom Markowski

Justin Tillman has soared above the other candidates for the Mr. Basketball Award, averaging 23 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks for top-ranked Detroit Pershing (9-1). (Jose Juarez / Special to Detroit News)

Detroit — This season’s race for the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award appeared to be between three players in early December.

That’s not the case anymore.

Justin Tillman of Detroit Pershing has created separation and as long as he continues playing at the level he has through the first 10 games, and if top-ranked Pershing (9-1) continues to play well, Tillman will be the one to collect the hardware.

The other top two candidates, at least at the beginning of the season, were Jaylen Johnson of Ypsilanti and Edmond Sumner of Detroit Country Day.

Tillman is a 6-foot-8 forward who signed with Virginia Commonwealth. He’s averaging 23 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.

Tillman missed much of the first half of last season after suffering a lower leg injury and didn’t start to play well until the Detroit Public School League playoffs.

He began this season with a 30-point, 20-rebound effort in an 82-69 loss to Chicago Morgan Park and has not let up.

“I knew he was going to be dominant,” Pershing coach Wydell Henry said. “He has a great perimeter game. That’s why he chose VCU. It’s their style of play. They get up and down.

“No disrespect to the other candidates but this award goes to the player who has had the best senior season and that’s Justin. He’s a great kid. He doesn’t complain when he’s not getting the ball. If I get on him, he’ll say, ‘Sorry, Coach.’ Against Huron, that was a Mr. Basketball type of performance.”

Sumner, a 6-4 guard who signed with Xavier, appears to be second at this point. He’s averaging nearly 25 points and is a player who’s not afraid to take the big shot.

Johnson (6-9) is off to a slow start through eight games, but there’s still time for him to make a run at the award.

All in the family

It’s the right place and the right time for both Detroit Allen Academy and first-year coach Craig Covington Jr. Covington, a Pontiac Northern graduate, coached in high school and college outside of Michigan after graduating from Knoxville (Tenn.) College in 1996.

Covington returned to Michigan last summer and, thanks to his father, the men’s basketball coach at Marygrove College in Detroit, connected with Tony Hitchcock, the athletic director at Allen. Hitchcock had coached the women’s team at Marygrove.

Hitchcock hired Covington and Allen is off to a 9-0 start and ranked No. 4 in Class C.

Allen is led by two seniors, Pakiya Ellis and Terrence Love. Ellis is averaging 28 points with a high of 46 against Fraser, a Class A school.

On Tuesday, Allen hosts Melvindale Academy for Business and Technology (6-3) at 7 p.m. ABT is coach by Covington’s brother, Mychal, who’s also a Northern graduate who played at Oakland University.

A Big Mac for BCAM

The Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan needs to expend its responsibilities and, from all indications, it’s ready to do so.

The candidates for the McDonald’s All-America team recently were released, for boys and girls, and Michigan had 17 representatives, 10 boys and seven girls. The state of Iowa has a total of 62.

The disparity is too large. One could argue Iowa’s total is too high and there’s no question Michigan’s total is too low. One problem is many of the coaches in Michigan don’t receive the proper forms to nominate their players. BCAM must act as a conduit between McDonald’s and its members.

Dan Young, the head coach at Westland John Glenn and the assistant director for BCAM, said his organization will work with McDonald’s and be more proactive in informing its members of the nomination process.

List is shrinking

The list of candidates for the Birmingham Brother Rice head football coaching position is down to five. Tony Patritto of Rochester Adams is not a candidate and never officially was. Although he didn’t attend Brother Rice, as four of the five candidates did, and has never been an assistant there, Patritto has been considered by many a good choice as the one to follow Al Fracassa. Patritto was a head coach in the Catholic League (Madison Heights Bishop Foley) and has been a successful coach at Adams, having won a state title (Division 2 in 2003) there.

More Tom Markowski

The Detroit News aims to provide a forum that fosters smart, civil discussions on the news and events that we cover. The News will not condone personal attacks, off topic posts or brutish language on our site. If you find a comment that you believe violates these standards, please click the "X" in the upper right corner of the post to report it.